When two deafblind women, performer Heather Lawson and pianist Michelle Stevens, were approached by director Jodee Mundy, a , to make a show, they pulled off the impossible. They turned their small community performance into Imagined Touch, a theatre production that became a sell-out success at the Sydney Festival, going on to win at the Victorian Green Room Awards.
Imagined Touch is a multi-sensory arts performance project exploring the fascinating world of Deafblind culture through its mixture of tactile sign language, unique relationship to the senses, space and navigation of the world. It comes in the form of a live show, a research report, an art installation and a documentary (now on ).
The documentary explores the collaboration of the three women as they wrestle with the question - how do individuals perform if they can't see or hear on stage while leading the audience to a true understanding of what it is like to be deprived of sight and hearing?
Interpreters with Heather Lawson. Credit: Pippa Dodds.
"In 2013, Heather and Michelle approached me as someone who was an artistic director and who was a Coda member of the community.
"They asked me to create a theatre show with them about being Deafblind as they wanted to share their stories, perspective and culture with audiences and with the world.
"Over ten years, many funding applications, rehearsals, touring and filming, our team grew to a team of twenty with artists, interpreters and support workers all working with Heather and Michelle to get this project over the line. It was a massive undertaking and taught me everything about producing performance and film and arts and disability."
Mundy says she is "immensely proud" of the project, and reflects on how wonderful it was to work alongside Lawson and Stevens.
"Heather and Michelle are some of the most resilient and hilarious people I know. They are passionate advocates for the Deafblind community and founded , Australia's only Deafblind led advocacy body.
"They yearn for more opportunities in the arts and to tell their story and hope for more support."
A transcript for Imagined Touch is available at the following link:
Imagined Touch is now available on SBS On Demand at the following link:
It is also available via the link below this text.
Stream free On Demand
Imagined Touch
program • documentary
PG
program • documentary
PG
Accessing Imagined Touch with Audio Description:
SBS On Demand service provides audio description (AD) through a range of its applications (apps) available on a number of platforms.
You can access Imagine Touch with Audio Description on the following devices:
· Hisense 2021 and later
· Samsung 2017 and later
· Foxtel iQ3, iQ4, and iQ5 set top boxes
· Hubbl
· Apple TV (tvOS)
· iOS mobile and tablets
· Website
How do I enable audio description for Imagined Touch?
iOS Device: Start your program, tap the 'Audio and Subtitles' button, and select 'English AD'.
tvOS: On your Apple TV device, start your program, navigate up, then right to select the Audio Settings button, and choose Audio Track English AD.
Website: Once the program starts, select the subtitles/audio icon and choose English [Audio Description].
Smart TV: Start your program, use the remote to navigate to the Audio and Subtitles button, and select English [Audio Description].
For more information visit the following link:
Watching Imagined Touch with Closed Captions (CC)
Closed captions for Imagined Touch will be available on all supported SBS On Demand devices:
- Mobile
- Web
- Smart TV
- Set top boxes
How do I enable CC for Imagined Touch?
Please visit the following link for assistance, as enabling CC differs between devices:
